This scene caused great astonishment in the skiing world. © Screenshot

Kitzbühel thriller: Odermatt's victory and the near-crash of the year

The Kitzbühel weekend kicked off on Friday with a true spectacle. A spectacle in which a Swiss skier emerged victorious and a Norwegian pulled off the moment of the year.

23 January 2026

From: det

Thousands of fans packed the finish area, a palpable sense of excitement filled the entire Streif course, and the race was a nail-biter. Yes, the Super-G to kick off the Kitzbühel weekend was a true skiing festival. In the end, the best skier in the world triumphed: Marco Odermatt secured his second consecutive Super-G victory on the Hahnenkamm, beating his teammate Franjo Von Allmen, who finished just three hundredths of a second behind. Austrian Stefan Babinsky (3rd, +0,25 seconds) also had reason to celebrate.

The number one topic of conversation after the race wasn't the hundredths-of-a-second thriller, but rather the scene involving Adrian Smiseth Sejersted. The Norwegian put on a show that will surely find its place in every year-end review. But what exactly happened?

Marco Odermatt took the victory. © APA / BARBARA GINDL

Sejersted started the race with bib number 17 and sped towards the Seidlalm jump at high speed. Just before the jump, however, his skis caught an edge, and the Scandinavian was catapulted over the edge. He was practically sideways in the air, but somehow he managed to regain control – and land on one (!) ski.



As if that scene alone wasn't spectacular enough, Sejersted continued his wild ride – and astonished everyone again at the finish line when 5th place lit up on the scoreboard. The Norwegian put on a truly daring performance, leaving him utterly disbelieving and throwing his hands up in his face at the end.

Paris and Innerhofer in the top 10

Two South Tyroleans finished in the top 10 this Friday. Dominik Paris put in a courageous, at times wild, run, in which a mistake in the upper section may have cost him a top-three finish. In the end, he finished eighth – and knows that his strategy for Saturday's downhill is sound. Christof Innerhofer also underlined his excellent form, securing another strong result with tenth place. The 41-year-old is truly experiencing a resurgence in form.

Christof Innerhofer is in great form. © APA / HANS KLAUS TECHT

Florian Schieder, starting with bib number 49, was making a strong run and on his way to a top-10 finish. However, he took the Hausbergkante section too directly, narrowly avoiding a crash and crashing out. Meanwhile, Max Perathoner managed to score World Cup points: starting with bib number 54, he raced to 28th place – a strong showing from the young skier from Val Gardena.

Franzoni falls behind

The best Italian skier on Friday was Mattia Casse, who finished in 6th place. Giovanni Franzoni, who won the Super-G in Wengen a week ago, had a less than perfect run this time and had to settle for 12th place.

This marks the start of the big Kitzbühel weekend. On Saturday, the legendary Hahnenkamm downhill race takes place from 11:30 a.m., and on Sunday, the slalom races will conclude the weekend (10:30 a.m./1:30 p.m.).